10 killed in Mosul as US troops open fire
http://english.aljazeera.net

At least 10 people were shot dead and scores of others wounded when US forces opened fire on a crowd that had gathered to listen to a US-appointed local governor in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul on Tuesday.

According to eye-witnesses, US marines fired when the crowd noisily interrupted the governor’s speech, which they thought was pro-US. US military sources however said that its troops had come under fire and they had only fired back in response.

Doctors at the city hospital said that many were injured in the firing. “There are perhaps 100 wounded besides the 10 or 12 dead,” said Dr Ayad al-Ramadhani of the city hospital.

Eye-witnesses said that the US troops had opened fire after the crowd that had gathered to listen to the governor, Mashaan al-Juburi in front of his office in one of the city square’s turned hostile to him in the middle of his pro-US speech.

Doctors at the city hospital recounted being told by wounded patients that the new governor was exhorting people to cooperate with the US when chaos broke out. The crowd called him a liar and insisted that he end his speech. When he continued with his speech, the angry crowd pelted stones and menacingly approached him.

Many among the wounded alleged that the besieged governor had asked the US troops to open fire.  The corridors of the Mosul city hospital was crowded with relatives of the dead and wounded and anti-US sentiments were high.

According to Ayad Hassun, another witness, trouble erupted when the crowed interrupted the governor in his speech with cries of  “There is no God but God and Mohammed is his prophet.”

Enraged by the interruption, the governor is said to have shouted back, accusing the crowd to be “members of Saddam’s Fedayeen.”  Hell broke loose instantly even as the governor was escorted by some US soldiers back to his office building. Eye-witnesses said that the US soldiers climbed a building and then started firing on the crowd.

The US military however denied that its troops had opened fire suo-motto.  “We came under fire from an opposite building and our troops responded,” said a US military spokesman. He could not however say whether the gunmen, who allegedly had been firing upon the soldiers, had been killed.